According to Article 1 of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Perpetuating the Name of a Martyr and Benefits Provided to Members of Martyrs’ Families”, a martyr is a person who died for the freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, went missing in connection with military operations, or was declared dead in accordance with the procedure established by legislation.
In accordance with the applicable legislation, the following persons are considered members of a martyr’s family:
husband or wife;;
parent;
children under the age of 18 (up to the age of 23 if receiving full-time education);
children over the age of 18 with disabilities whose disability was established before reaching the age of 18;
brothers and sisters raised in children’s homes until reaching the age of 18 (up to the age of 23 if receiving full-time education);
grandparents, if there is no person legally responsible for their maintenance.
The following persons are considered martyrs:
Those who died as a result of the tragic events that took place in Baku, Lankaran and Neftchala districts in January 1990;
persons who died in the aircraft that crashed in Leninakan on December 11, 1988;
citizens who died as a result of illegal actions or manoeuvres of the Soviet Army in the Republic of Azerbaijan during the period from 1988 to January 1990;
civilians who died or went missing as a result of Armenian aggression, as well as Armenian military provocations (attacks, strikes) in the border districts with Armenia and Karabakh and in other territories of the country;
military personnel who died or went missing during military operations conducted for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
persons who died, went missing or were declared dead by a court decision during other events established by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan in connection with the freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including while performing official duties related to the execution of combat missions or combat-support tasks in military units operating in combat conditions during the ceasefire period, as well as in internal affairs, state security and foreign intelligence bodies, the State Security Service, the State Service for Special Communication and Information Security, and the State Agency for the Protection of Strategic Facilities;
military personnel who died or went missing while performing official duties related to the protection of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
For military personnel: a certificate from the military unit and a death certificate; in cases of disappearance, a court decision;
For civilians: a certificate issued by the district (city) executive authority.
For military personnel:
· for warrant officers and officers – the authority where they served (the personnel departments of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Emergency Situations, State Security Service, Foreign Intelligence Service, State Border Service, State Security Service, State Service for Special Communications and Information Security, and State Agency for the Protection of Strategic Facilities);;
· for soldiers – the relevant local main departments, departments, divisions and branches of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription where they were registered for military service..
For civilians: the district (city) executive authority.
A person’s status as a martyr is confirmed on the basis of a death certificate, court decision or certificate issued by a military unit.
The status of a martyr’s family is confirmed by certificates issued by the personnel departments of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Emergency Situations, State Security Service, Foreign Intelligence Service, State Border Service, State Security Service, State Service for Special Communications and Information Security, and State Agency for the Protection of Strategic Facilities for warrant officers and officers; by the relevant local main departments, departments, divisions and branches of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription where other military personnel are registered for military service; and by district (city) executive authorities for civilians.
Within 5 (five) working days from the date the status of martyr and martyr’s family is granted, information about this is entered into the “Zafar” subsystem of the Centralised Electronic Information System of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population. Certificates for members of martyrs’ families are issued by the local bodies of the Social Services Agency under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population in the area where they reside.
For pensions and benefits – the right of members of a martyr’s family to receive pensions and benefits arises from the date of the person’s death;
For the Presidential pension – the right arises from the date the certificate confirming the status of a martyr’s family is issued.
with an insurance payment of 11,000 manats (from January 1, 2022, by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, if the date of the document confirming the insured event is after December 31, 2020);
Procedure: A beneficiary(ies) must submit a copy of the death certificate of the deceased military serviceman, a notarised inheritance certificate, and a copy of the beneficiary(ies)’ identity card to the relevant authority in order to receive the insurance payment. Within 10 working days after the documents are submitted, the insurance payment of 11,000 (eleven thousand) manats is transferred to the beneficiary(ies)’ bank account.
Financial assistance for organising the funeral ceremony – payment of financial assistance in the amount of 3,000 manats to the martyr’s parents (representatives) for organising the mourning ceremony (provided by the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription);
Procedure: The parent (representative) submits the order of the commander (head) of the military unit (institution, authority and organisation) concerning the death (passing) to the local division of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription, from where the relevant funds are paid through cashless settlement within 3 (three) working days.
Monthly Presidential pension of the Republic of Azerbaijan - a Presidential pension of 700 manats is paid to the martyr’s family (by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population);
Procedure: The relevant certificate confirming the status of a martyr’s family is submitted to the local structure of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, after which the pension is assigned to family members entitled to receive it and the payment is initiated.
Monthly pension for loss of a breadwinner – if the martyr had pension rights, family members are paid a pension for loss of a breadwinner (by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population);
Procedure: If the martyr was an officer, warrant officer or a serviceman serving beyond the term of compulsory military service (professional serviceman), one of the family members entitled to a pension for loss of a breadwinner applies to the institution where the martyr served; that institution sends an information sheet to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population; the relevant department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population accepts the other necessary documents from the martyr’s family member for the assignment of the pension and makes the relevant appointment. If the martyr was a soldier, family members entitled to a pension for loss of a breadwinner apply with the relevant documents to the relevant department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, where the pension is assigned.
Benefit (monthly) – if the martyr did not have pension rights, each family member receives a benefit of 140 manats for the loss of a breadwinner (provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population);
Procedure: The martyr’s death certificate is submitted by a family member to the local structure of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population. Following this, the benefit is assigned to the martyr’s family members and the payment is initiated.
Housing provision – the provision of housing or an individual house by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population to members of martyrs’ families who had been registered with local executive authorities as persons in need of housing as of January 1, 2023.
Procedure: Persons belonging to this category apply to the district (city) Executive Authority. Waiting lists are submitted by district (city) Executive Authorities to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population. In accordance with these lists, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population provides them with housing or an individual house on a waiting-list basis.
Maintaining the housing registration: If a member of a martyr’s family who has been registered as a person in need of housing dies, or if a person who has been registered as a person in need of housing is subsequently granted martyr status, that registration is maintained for their family members in accordance with the procedure established by the “Rules for Maintaining the Registration for Family Members of a Member of a Martyr’s Family Registered as a Person in Need of Housing in the Event of Their Death, or for a Person Registered as a Person in Need of Housing Who Is Subsequently Granted Martyr Status”, approved by Resolution No. 485 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated November 20, 2024.
Procedure: For the registration of the registered person to be maintained for their family members, based on the joint consent of the family members, one of the adult members of the family (in the absence of such a person, a guardian (custodian), patron (assistant) or authorised person) applies with an application to the authority that carried out the registration or to the “Unified Coordination Centres for Appeals of Members of Martyrs’ Families, Military Personnel Injured in Connection with the War, and Persons with Disabilities” within 3 (three) months from the date of death of the registered person. Together with the application submitted to the authority that carried out the registration or to the Centre, copies of documents confirming the identity of the representative and other family members, a representation application (certified by a notary on the basis of a certificate concerning persons registered at the place of residence issued by the representative offices of the administrative territorial district and territorial district of the head of the district (city) executive authority at the place of residence or by an “ASAN service” Centre), a copy of the death certificate of the registered person, and, where a person registered as being in need of housing is subsequently granted martyr status, a certificate confirming the subsequent granting of martyr status shall be submitted.
Psychological support - Members of martyrs’ families are provided with psychological support during the post-war period through the use of psychological methods such as individual and group consultations and family therapy after initial diagnosis (by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population);
Procedure: Based on the application of members of martyrs’ families.
Sanatorium-resort treatment - members of martyrs’ families are provided with sanatorium-resort vouchers (referrals) no more than once a year (working persons – with vouchers (referrals) provided to employers by the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation in accordance with Clause 8.2 of the “Rules for the Appointment, Calculation and Payment of Payments under Compulsory State Social Insurance and Benefits Paid at the Expense of the Insurer to Employees Temporarily Incapable of Working”, approved by Resolution No. 189 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated September 15, 1998, from their place of employment; non-working persons – on a waiting-list basis by the local bodies of the Social Services Agency under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan and “DOST” Centres (within the country, including travel expenses, based on referrals from medical institutions). At the same time, children under the age of 18 who have been placed on the waiting list to receive a sanatorium-resort voucher (referral) are provided with a sanatorium-resort voucher (referral) together with an accompanying person.**
Procedure: By submitting their applications and sanatorium-resort card to the relevant authority responsible for providing them with a sanatorium-resort voucher (referral). After the application and sanatorium-resort card are submitted, a non-working person entitled to receive a sanatorium-resort voucher (referral) is placed on the waiting list within 1 (one) working day in the “Sanatorium-resort” subsystem of the Ministry’s Centralised Electronic Information System, and a short notification thereof is sent within 2 (two) working days to one of the person’s contact details, or, in the case of children, to one of the accompanying person’s contact details; detailed information is also reflected in the person’s personal account on the Ministry’s “e-social” internet portal. For working persons, matters concerning the receipt of a sanatorium-resort voucher (referral) are provided in accordance with Clause 8.8 of the “Rules for the Appointment, Calculation and Payment of Payments under Compulsory State Social Insurance and Benefits Paid at the Expense of the Insurer to Insured Persons Temporarily Incapable of Working”, approved by Resolution No. 189 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated September 15, 1998.
Education - members of martyrs’ families studying at state, municipal and private higher, secondary specialised and vocational education institutions are exempt from tuition fees, which are paid from the state budget for the period during which they receive education at educational institutions of the Republic of Azerbaijan on a paid basis (except for additional education) (by the Ministry of Science and Education);
Organisation of self-employment: Members of martyrs’ families are ensured to be involved in the self-employment programme on a priority basis as soon as possible, and within the framework of the programme, they are provided with assets in the form of goods and materials to establish small family farms and enterprises;
Procedure: To receive this support, the person must meet the unemployment criteria (must not have an active employment contract, a taxpayer identification number (TIN), own a land share, or be a full-time student). The person must apply online to the “Employment and Occupation” subsystem (EMAS), local territorial employment offices or DOST centres.
Paid public works: Members of martyrs’ families are ensured to be involved in paid public works on a priority basis as soon as possible;
Procedure: To receive this support, the person must meet the unemployment criteria (must not have an active employment contract, a taxpayer identification number (TIN), own a land share, or be a full-time student). The person must apply online to the “Employment and Occupation” subsystem (EMAS), local territorial employment offices or DOST centres.
Co-financing of wages in social workplaces: Members of martyrs’ families are ensured to be involved in the programme for co-financing wages in social workplaces on a priority basis as soon as possible;
Procedure: To receive this support, the person must meet the unemployment criteria (must not have an active employment contract, a taxpayer identification number (TIN), own a land share, or be a full-time student). The person must apply online to the “Employment and Occupation” subsystem (EMAS), local territorial employment offices or DOST centres.
Creation of additional jobs beyond the quota: Employment of members of martyrs’ families in enterprises and financing of up to 100% of their wages;
Procedure: To receive this support, the person must meet the unemployment criteria (must not have an active employment contract, a taxpayer identification number (TIN), own a land share, or be a full-time student). The person must apply online to the “Employment and Occupation” subsystem (EMAS), local territorial employment offices or DOST centres.
Special projects and the creation of social enterprises and additional jobs: Implementation of special projects covering vulnerable groups, including members of martyrs’ families;
Procedure: To receive this support, the person must meet the unemployment criteria (must not have an active employment contract, a TIN, ownership of a land share, or be a full-time student). The person must apply online through the “Labour and Employment” subsystem (EMAS), local employment centres, or DOST centres.
Additional: A number of benefits are provided for members of martyrs’ families under tax, labour and other legislation.
NOTE: Except for the 11,000 manat insurance payment and the 3,000 manat financial assistance for funeral arrangements, the rights of the families of military and civilian martyrs are equal.
